Safe Harbor
by ThnksFrThMmrs87
Summary: A husband and wife are dead, their little girl is missing. This one hits hard
1. Shaken

Disclaimer-- I don't own the characters of CSI:NY

Don Flack felt as if the world had spun off of its axis. There was a flurry of sound and motion around him in the hospital, Mac stood stiff next to him as Danny and Lindsay rushed through the door with Hawkes hot in their heels. Questions fired at him from all directions, but nothing penetrated the fog of stunned grief that surrounded him. Finally Mac called the others off and he was left to his own damning thoughts. This was the last place he thought he would end up that day, and looking back he couldn't help but think that it was his fault.

_Three days earlier_

It took a lot to turn Stella Bonasera's stomach after everything she'd seen, but the crime scene she was working was having a drastic effect. She was sure there was more blood than she'd ever seen in one room, and a husband and wife lay across the room from each other. They had been gutted, blinded and positioned post mortem as if they were reaching for each other. In the midst of all the bloody chaos lay the broken body of a life sized baby doll, her blonde curls streaked red and blood smeared across her eyes. She noticed as a chill ran down her spine that the doll bore a disturbing resemblance to the picture of a cheery little girl that sat on the mantle.

Stella pressed a shaking hand to her stomach as she turned to Flack. "There's no sign of the girl?"

His usually bright eyes were sadder than she'd ever seen them when he shook his head. "No sign of her." He flipped open his memo book and glanced through his notes. "Deceased are Jennifer and Alan Simmons. Her mother found them this morning when she swung by to drop off some bread she made for them. The little girl's name is Amelia; we're checking for a dump, but it's looking more and more like kidnap."

She shook her head. "Why all this for a kidnap; who could do this?"

"Hopefully the evidence can answer the questions Stell. Right now I focus on trying to find out if this little girl is still alive, and find her if she is."

She nodded. "Yeah. Anything else I need to know?"

"It may or may not be important, but the little girl is adopted. The grandmother managed to get that much out when we asked for details about the little girl. She was only a baby when the Simmons brought her home but it's an angle to check out."

"Okay. I'll get to work." As Flack moved away she took a deep breath and dove in, trying in vain to distance herself. It was only a few minutes before Lindsay and Hawkes arrived, but even with the company none of them could fight back the horror they felt.

Later that day, back in the lab, it was clear that the case was affecting everyone more than usual. Maybe it was that a little girl had gone missing, maybe it was the sheer horror of the crime scene. Whatever it was, everyone was rattled. Danny and Lindsay touched each other much more than normal; as she passed trace Stella saw him rub her back soothingly. Peyton came out of autopsy shaking like a leaf and went straight to Mac's office. Adam had barely said two words since everything had come in, and the mood was grave.

Looking over the victims' clothes, Stella felt an overwhelming sense of sadness fall over her. Every second that passed their chances of finding Amelia Simmons alive diminished. Feeling a headache pound at her temples she closed her eyes and leaned against the table. When she straightened and turned a moment later she ran straight into Flack. His hands automatically came to her arms to steady her and he looked down at her with concern in his eyes.

"You all right Stella?"

She shook her head. "Not really. This is a bad one Don, it's shaking everybody up."

"Yeah. Look I may have a lead on the girl's biological mother. It may or may not go anywhere, but at this point it's all we got. Both of the Simmons appear to have been upstanding citizens, not even a parking ticket on record, and no enemies or grudges out there. So I look into the birth mother, see if she would have any motivation to do something like this."

"It's something, which is good because at this point we don't have much."

"We'll find more," he said firmly.

"I hope you're right."

When Flack finally made it home that night he was exhausted, and he was filled with a sense of sadness that penetrated right down to the bone. It didn't seem as if they were getting anywhere, and every second counted with a little girl missing. The lack of trace at the scene was discouraging, and the lead he had on the birth mother had gone nowhere. He'd discovered that she had been a crack addict who had died the year before in a gutter in the meat packing district. "Damn it." He rubbed a hand over his tired face and closed the door to his apartment behind him.

His tie had begun to feel as if it was choking him throughout the day and he loosened it as he made his way to his bedroom, breathing a sigh of relief as he tossed it down on the bed. His shirt came next and before long he was infinitely more comfortable in a pair of sweats and a cotton wife-beater. But even as he relished the comfort his mind turned back to Amelia Simmons. She wouldn't be comfortable; she was probably scared to death and praying for someone to come and save her. He sighed dejectedly and shook his head. The more he thought about it, the more determined he was to find her. There wasn't a lot to go on, but they would find something; they had to.

He wandered back towards the kitchen and rummaged in the fridge. Nothing appealed to him, not as he wondered about the last time little Amelia had eaten. Sick and frustrated all over again he slammed the door shut. He ran a hand over his hair and had resigned himself to heading back to the bedroom for a sleepless night when his phone rang. He picked it up and frowned when he saw that the call was from Stella; he'd only seen her an hour before.

"Stella?" he answered.

"Flack, sorry, I know it's been a long day but…"

He sat down on the couch and shook his head. "It doesn't matter; I doubt I'll get any sleep tonight anyway."

"I know what you mean. I was thinking, the lead on the mother didn't go anywhere, but do we know anything about the father?"

"Not yet."

"I think it should be priority. I've got a…. Hell I don't know what I've got. This case has me so tied up," she said quietly.

"Me too Stell, it's doing the same to all of us."

"I know."

He cursed creatively. "I need a drink."

Stella let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"Well." Flack considered for a moment then thought, what the hell. "I've got a bottle of wine and two glasses with our names on them."

There was a pause on the other line. "Got anything stronger?"

"Think I got a bottle of Jack hiding in here somewhere."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

True to her word, almost exactly fifteen minutes later Stella knocked on his door. He answered the door in his bare feet with a glass already in his hand. She took it from him and made her way inside, slipping her shoes off at the door. Flack closed the door behind her and picked up his own glass as he followed her over to the couch. As he sat down next to her she drained the entire thing in one gulp. He figured it was the best idea anyone had had in a long time and followed suite.

"Certainly doesn't fix things but it numbs a little bit around the edges," he said blandly.

She nodded. "Definitely."

He poured them both another then rolled the glass between his hands. "What is it about this one Stella? We've seen a guy who cut off women's eyelids, so why is this one so horrible?"

She shrugged. "The way we found the bodies, the doll covered in blood that looks exactly like the missing girl, the fact that there is a missing girl? I think it's the whole thing."

"Whatever it is, it's hitting hard."

"It's hitting really hard." She drained her glass again.

"Seems to be hitting you hardest of all," he observed.

She took a deep breath and looked away. "I know what it feels like Don, what it feels like to be trapped and afraid. The terror is almost impossible to deal with, even as an adult who's seen the things I've seen. If it was that hard for me…" she trailed off.

"Stell…"

"She must be so scared Don." She looked up and tears were shining in her eyes. "If she's even still alive, she probably saw her parents die. She knows they're gone and that whoever has her did that to the two people at the center of her world."

His heart ached for the lost little girl and the woman who sat in front of him. "We're going to find her Stella."

"I hope you're right." She looked down.

"I am, we're the best." He reached out and tipped her chin up with his finger. The fire was back in his eyes as they met hers. "We're going to find her, and we're going to get whoever did this to her parents."

Seeing that his determination matched her own pulled Stella out of the haze. "You're damn right we are."


	2. Bravery

Disclaimer-- I don't own the characters of CSI: NY

At five in the morning Stella woke from a bloody nightmare and sat bolt straight in bed, her breath heaving in her chest. It took her a minute to realize she wasn't in her own bed. Only moments later it all came back, the case, the phone call, and a large bottle of Jack Daniels that she and Flack had managed to finish off between the two of them. Well that last part explained the hammering headache. She ran a hand through her messy hair and tried to recall the rest of the night. They had talked about the case, about Amelia Simmons' biological mother, and she'd methodically gotten drunk. She vaguely recalled him picking her up when she'd started to drift and carrying her into the bedroom to settle her in the bed. The whisper of a kiss she remembered brushing against her forehead may have just been a dream, but it made warmth wash over her. She chalked it up to the booze from the night before.

Her head pounded harder the longer she sat so she made her way towards the kitchen, hoping to find a large amount of pain killer. She came to a halt and smiled in spite of herself when she saw Flack laid out face down on the couch. There was too much man for too little furniture and he couldn't have been comfortable seeing as he was about a foot and a half taller than the couch was long. Deciding that she'd call him to wake him up a bit later she draped a blanket over him, brushing a hand over his shoulder. She stole a few aspirin before she slipped off.

Two hours later Flack cursed as his phone rang. He groped blindly and held it cautiously to his ear. "Flack."

"How's your head detective?" an amused voice asked.

He sat up straight and felt the sharp pain in the body part in question. "Hurts like a bitch. Last time I saw you, you were in my bed." He cursed himself for the way it sounded. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

She chuckled. "You looked like you needed it. ."

"Well thanks, for that and for waking me up. I doubt I would have done it on my own." He rubbed absently at his cheek where the fabric of the couch had left its imprint. "What time's your shift start?"

"Not for a couple of hours, but I'm going in early."

He'd been thinking the same thing. "I'll be in as soon as I can."

When Mac found Stella in the lab three hours before her shift started it certainly didn't surprise him; especially since he'd slept in his office the night before. He realized how important it was for all of them to solve this one.

"You figure anything out?" he asked.

She responded absently. "JD takes the edge off but it hurts even more in the morning." It took a moment for what she'd just said to penetrate and she looked up somewhat apologetically. "As my boss you didn't hear that."

He shook his head. "Absolutely not, but as your friend…"

Stella sighed. "I woke up with one hell of a hangover this morning."

"You're not the only one," Flack chimed in from the door.

Mac looked at the pair of them curiously but chose not to comment. "Anything new?"

"We may have something on the biological father. Apparently he made a big stink just after Amelia was born trying to get her back; clearly that didn't work. He seems to have dropped off the face of the planet, but we've got his mother."

Stella already had her jacket on. "Let's go."

Half an hour later they pulled up to a small, tidy house with a family of garden gnomes in the front yard. Flack stepped out of the car and shook his head. "Doesn't seem likely we'll find a murderous kidnapper here does it?"

"You never know."

They made their way up the little path and waited after Flack rang the doorbell. Soon enough a small woman with wheat blonde hair and huge brown eyes opened the door. "Can I help you?" she asked politely.

"Jenna Greene?" She nodded and Flack flashed his shield. "NYPD ma'am, we'd like to talk to you about your son."

Her eyes darkened and she went very pale. "Of course, come in." A few minutes later they were settled in her cozy sitting room and she served them the tea she'd insisted upon. She sat down across from them and took a deep breath. "Now, what is it you need?"

Stella looked over at Flack then jumped in. "Mrs. Greene…"

She shook her head and there was a lilting hint of the magnolia south in her voice when she spoke. "Please call me Jenna, I was never a Mrs."

"Jenna, was your son aware of the fact that he had a child?"

"Yes, James knew about the little girl, but not until well after the fact."

"Could you explain it to us?"

She sighed. "I suppose I should start from the beginning. I got pregnant when I was sixteen years old. I was born and raised in a little one light town in Mississippi and James' father worked there one summer. By the time I realized I was pregnant he was gone and I couldn't find any trace of him. I wanted the baby; my father wanted…" She paused and her eyes fluttered shut for a moment before she continued. "My father wanted me to get rid of the baby. I went along with it, said I'd make the appointment, and even as a spoke to him I planned out in my head how I'd get away."

"You were very brave," Stella said quietly.

"A lot of people say that. It was either that or really stupid. Anyway, I got some help from a friend and I came to New York. I had to work hard every day to get the money for a place to live, but I did it. When James came I was so happy, but it didn't take long for there to be problems." She paused.

"Go on," Flack urged.

"As he got older he started to wonder about his father. He asked about him all the time, got teased by the kids at school because he didn't know his dad. When he was about eight I told him what had happened. I told him the whole truth because I couldn't bear to lie to my baby. Looking back maybe I should have lied. From then on he was a constant problem. He acted out, got kicked of school. He was always emotionally unstable. When he was around fifteen years old he got into drugs." There were tears shining in her eyes. "I tried to get him help, I did everything I could but I just couldn't reach him. How can you help somebody who doesn't want your help?" she asked.

"Take a minute if you need to."

"No, I'll be fine. James moved out the day he turned eighteen. I didn't see him much for a long time, just if he needed money. Then one day about three months after the little girl was born he showed up here. He told me how this girl he'd been involved with, I think he said her name was Caine, had gotten pregnant. She'd apparently disappeared for a while."

Stella nodded. "Then she turned up and told him about Amelia."

"Yes. She'd had the baby and given her up for adoption by the time she told James. He was absolutely furious with her and he wanted his daughter. He tried, but she was already with the adoptive parents, and nobody would give a baby to someone like James. He's emotionally unstable and Caine hadn't put his name on the birth certificate. I tried to tell him but… well he never did listen to me very well."

"What happened after that?" Flack asked.

She shrugged. "Nothing; he told me they wouldn't give him the baby and it seemed like he'd given up. A few weeks later he disappeared. Can you tell me what you think he's done?"

The two shared a brief look before Stella answered. "His daughter, Amelia Simmons; we found her parents murdered in their apartment. The little girl is missing."

Jenna's hand flew to her mouth. "You think it could have been James?"

"We don't know anything for sure at this point," Flack told her kindly. "But if there's anything you can tell us about your son it would be very helpful."

"He turned up here about a week ago." She gazed sadly out the front window as she thought back. "He told me he was looking at a house to rent. He wanted money, more money than I could possibly give him. When I asked him he… called me a whore and told me he wished I'd have listened to my father twenty five years ago. He wasn't high, I've always been able to tell when he's been using drugs, but there was something wrong with him. He was manic; the word that came to my mind was disturbed."

Flack leaned forward to speak to her. "I know this is hard for you, but can you think of anything else? Did he tell you where this house was?"

She nodded. "He said it was in Long Island. Other than that…"

"That's more help than you think," Stella told her as they stood. "If you think of anything else you'll let us know?"

"Of course." They were halfway to the door when she spoke again. "Whether James is involved or not, would you please let me know when you find out if she's alright, Amelia I mean."

"We will. Thank you Jenna."

Both of them felt a weight lift as they shut the door behind them. "Some story huh?" Flack asked as they pulled away from the curb.

Stella nodded. "I can't imagine what that would be like. She works herself to the bone to build a life for her and her son and she loses him with no way to get him back."

"She's had a hard life," he agreed.

"It's looking more and more like James Greene is our guy. He's unstable, he wanted the little girl, and it sounds to me like he was getting ready to set up house."

Flack nodded. "I'm with ya there. I doubt he's using his real name, so it may slow the search down a bit, but with any luck we'll know something by tonight."

True to his word, Flack appeared in Stella's office at around seven that night. She looked up with anticipation shining in her eyes. "Did you find him?"

He nodded. "I got the address."

She smiled. "Then why are we still standing here?"

In the car he gave her the rundown. " I talked to the landlord. The guy fits the description perfectly, and he's been seen bringing toys and things like that into the house. He payed first and last months rent in cash so the landlord didn't ask a whole lot of questions. We don't think he'll hurt Amelia, but considering everything you never know. We play it safe, knock on the door and wait for an answer."

"Got it; and if we don't find her?"

Flack looked her straight in the eye. "Then we work our asses off until we get her back."

They stepped out of the car and met their backup in front of a dingy house. Flack made his way to the front door with Stella behind him. He knocked and waited for a moment. When they didn't get anything he knocked again, louder this time. Behind him there were whispers from the officers and he silenced them with a harsh command. "Stell, you hear that?"

She stepped up next to him and listened closely. She heard a very faint voice, screaming. "It's her."

Flack nodded and turned away from the door for a moment. He took his gun out of his holster and with his eyes set he kicked the flimsy door in. They quickly spread out through the house and discovered no sign of the girl or James Greene. Flack was contemplating punching a wall when he heard Stella.

"Flack!" He rushed into the back room and found her on her knees, her hands working at the floorboards. "I could hear her. There must be some kind of a cellar but I can't get the door open and she hasn't been responding."

He dropped to his knees next to her. "Amelia? My name's detective Flack, I'm with the police. I'm up here with Detective Bonasera and we're going to get you out okay? Just do me a favor and let me know that you're okay. Yell for me okay?" Flack and Stella held their breath as there was silence for a moment. Then they both grinned like idiots when they heard her cry out. Her voice was weak, but she was there. It took a few minutes, but together they pried the door open. The minute it was clear of the floor Flack was down the rickety stairs and into the dark. Stella tossed him a flashlight and it shone weakly through the inky black. "Keep on making noise for me Amelia." He heard what sounded like her feet kicking against a wall and followed the noise. Moments later his flashlight shone over a small bed and Amelia Simmons. The sense of relief he felt was overwhelming but he was cautious with her none the less.

"Are you the police?" she asked in a terrified and unsure voice.

Flack crouched down to her level and nodded. "I am, but I can show you my badge if you want to know for sure."

She clutched at the teddy bear, covered with dried blood, in her arms and nodded. "Yes." He pulled his badge from his pocket and passed it to her. She looked at it for a moment then dropped the teddy on the bed and threw herself into his arms, her little body wracked with sobs. He held onto her tight and stood, murmuring whatever words of comfort that came to his mind as he slowly made his way out.


	3. Anchor

Disclaimer-- I don't own the CSI: NY characters

Stella waited impatiently at the top of the stairs and fought off the urge to pace. She would have gone down with Flack, but she knew that another person could overwhelm the terrified girl. When she saw him emerge with Amelia in his arms she felt an enormous weight lift from her shoulders. The little girl's curls were matted and streaked with dried blood, none of it her own. She still held Flack's badge tight in one small hand as she clung to him for dear life. Don raised his eyes to meet Stella's and she saw that though he wouldn't allow himself to let them go, tears shone in his eyes. He nodded at her and she called for a paramedic to check Amelia out.

She wouldn't let go of Flack, so the paramedics looked at her while he held her on his lap. Stella stayed with them the whole time. Watching them she couldn't help but think that Amelia had found a safe harbor in Detective Don Flack. They got out of the house as soon as they could. There was no sign of James Greene anywhere. After the eternity of the past few days the car ride to take Amelia to her family seemed to go by incredibly fast. Exhausted, Amelia fell asleep in Flack's lap on the way and he lifted her carefully when they got to the station. Her grandmother saw them from across the room and for a moment she just froze, tears rolling down her face.

He woke her as gently as he could, and by the time she was alert again her Grandmother was halfway to them. Amelia saw her and her tears started again. Flack set her carefully on her feet and she ran into her Grandma's arms. Stella and Flack watched the reunion and even as they felt the contentment of finding Amelia Simmons, they knew that the man who had killed her parents and held her captive was still out there.

It was hours later when they finally stepped outside of the station. Though she knew she should be exhausted Stella felt revved up. She looked over at Flack and realized that he seemed much the same. With a sigh she rolled her shoulders, trying to work out some of the tension. She opened her mouth to speak, thought better of it, and then decided she may as well take a chance. "If the offer still stands I could really use that glass of wine."

He flashed a brief grin. "The offer still stands."

Soon after they were settled again on his couch, this time with twin glasses full of deep red wine. "We seem to be making a habit of this," Stella noted with a smile.

"Some things call for a drink. All things considered, I figure we're entitled to a couple." He tapped his glass to hers. "Hell of a night."

"That's putting it mildly." She took a sip of her wine before leaning back to let her head rest on the couch. "He's still out there Flack. If he could do that to the Simmons what's to stop him from trying again."

"Amelia and her Grandmother are under protective custody. They won't be out of an officer's sight for a minute."

She nodded. "I know, but it hardly seems enough after what James Greene did." She stood and started to wander aimlessly around the room. "How can we rest until we find him and make him pay for what he did to that little girl's world?"

He stood. "We don't rest easy, that's for damn sure."

"Thanks for the reassurance," she said, every word dripping with sarcasm.

"Look Stell, you're usually way more confident about what we do. What's up?"

Stella threw her hands up. "I don't know! Ever since I walked into that apartment I've been like this."

"It's been hard for everyone, but you've been way out there the past couple of days."

"I know! I feel like my emotions have been on overdrive. I've been so angry and sad and frightened for that little girl. I thought it would get better when we found her; but I saw her holding on to you like you were anchoring her to the world and none of it changed. All I can tell you is that now it's even worse. I'm still so angry and frightened that someone will go after her again."

Flack shook his head firmly. "Nobody's going to touch her."

"I know that, in my head I know that, but I can't control the emotions. I can't explain what I've been feeling. I probably shouldn't be feeling half of it."

"Well since you're high on emotion and short on assurance at the moment let me tell you something," he said a bit brusquely. "We're going to find James Greene. We're going to find him and we're going to make sure that he gets exactly what he deserves for what he did. We're going to spend every waking moment on the job hunting him down."

Stella nodded. "I know, I know."

"No, look at me," he said roughly. He took her face in his hands and looked straight at her with piercing blue eyes. "We are going to find this bastard and put him away. For tonight we realize there's nothing we can do until morning. But in the morning we will work ourselves to death until we make sure that Amelia Simmons never has to be afraid again."

She stood there looking shocked for a moment. "I don't think I've ever heard you speak with more conviction."

He shrugged. "Well this one seems to be more important than the others." It took a moment for them both to realize that he still cradled her face in his hands. He felt her skin heat but didn't move. "Stell…"

"Yes?"

His eyes darkened to indigo. "I don't remember what I was going to say," he told her, inching closer.

"Really, how unusual," she managed, her voice going husky. "Why is that?"

"If you don't know what's on my mind I'm doing something wrong."

Her laughter was cut off abruptly when his lips met hers. The burn seemed to start at their feet and work its way up until they were both consumed by it. His hands slid from her face, one fisting in her hair while the other traveled down to the small of her back to press her closer. The contented sound that rose in the back of her throat sent a thrill up his spine and he took the kiss deeper. She took greedily even as she held on for dear life. It could have been seconds or minutes later that they pulled apart to breathe.

"Stell…" He trailed off and within moments he bent to take her mouth again. They were both taken in completely, lost in a waterfall of sensation that seemed to have no end. When she started working at the buttons on his shirt she felt his heart race and he pulled back. "Stell, emotions have been running high. I don't want you to regret this in the morning. Be sure; yes or no?"

She figured that actions spoke louder than words, and when she flipped open the last button on his shirt and pushed it from his shoulders it may as well have been a soliloquy. The smile that flitted at Flack's eyes was quick and entirely disarming and he captured her lips again. "Yes," she whispered against his mouth. No sooner than the words were out of her mouth he had lifted her in his arms.

Stella woke slowly out of dreams filled with sensuous touch and heated kisses. She came fully awake and was immediately aware of the intense comfort of being held in someone's arms. With a lazy smile she allowed the hand that rested at Flack's hip to drift up and over the flat expanse of his stomach. Her hand stilled when she felt smooth skin gave way to scar tissue. She opened her eyes and frowned down at the scar that a bomb and surgery had left behind. Thinking back she traced her hand across it.

His voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Guess you can't escape without some kind of scar," he told her.

She nodded as she thought back to her ordeal with Frankie and the emotional scars she'd been left with. "No, guess you can't." With a sigh she settled in against him.

"Rough couple of days, with a rather surprising ending."

"I was thinking earlier, when I was watching Amelia holding on to you so tight, that she had found something to anchor to her; something in you." Her breath whispered against his chest as she spoke. "Everyone needs a safe harbor, Flack, especially people with jobs like ours. Everyone needs to acknowledge their connections and feel something other than the dark that surrounds us. We just finally acknowledged the connection."

He lifted her chin so he could kiss her softly. "Thank God for that."

"How long until we have to be to work?" she asked.

Flack grinned. "We got a couple of hours."

Her smile was like quicksilver as she rolled to kiss him. "Good."

When she got to the lab Stella felt loose and more at ease than she had in a long time. Though she'd had to spend some quality time with her mirror toning down the thoroughly used look, she'd managed to make it in on time; barely.

She met Lindsay coming down the hall and the younger woman glanced up distractedly before speaking. "We've got everything from the rental house. It isn't much but…" She trailed off when she looked up at Stella. "You look different."

"How so?"

She shook her head. "You just look, I don't know, contented I guess."

"Well I suppose I am contented," Stella told her with a smile.

"So who was it?"

"What makes you think it was a someone that made the difference?"

Lindsay smiled knowingly. "There's only one thing that makes a woman look _that _content. "

Stella laughed. "Okay you have a point. If I tell you, you can't make a big deal out of it."

"I won't."

"Let's just say that Flack and I had a drink last night."

She smiled brightly. "I figured as much. I'm happy, for both of you."

"Me too kiddo."

Later that morning Flack was at his desk slogging through backlogged paperwork when Stella appeared in front of him. He smiled up at her. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She eased a hip onto the corner of his desk. "Nothing we found at the rental was of that much use. Mostly it just confirmed what we already knew. We did find some paperwork for a credit card under a false name." She handed him a piece of paper with the information on it and felt her skin heat when their fingers brushed. She wanted him all over again and got the feeling from the look in his eyes that he was thinking much the same thing. But since they were sitting in the station she pulled her hand back and kept talking. "Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll use it somewhere."

He was about to respond when a uniformed officer approached. "You've got a visitor Detective," he said before he walked off.

He looked over to see Amelia Simmons making her way across the room, clutching at her grandma's hand. They stopped in front of the desk and looked up at him hesitantly. "Hi."

"Hi Amelia, how are you doing?"

Her grandmother spoke up then. "She's been doing well, considering. Amelia wanted to come and thank you again."

Amelia nodded. "I did. Can I sit in your lap?"

"Sure you can." He picked her up as she let got of her grandma's hand and Stella watched as she played with his tie.

"Thank you for coming to find me. I was really scared, but I wasn't so scared anymore once you came."

"You're welcome, and I'm happy I helped you to be not so scared."

The little girl looked up at him and managed a small smile. "I didn't need to see your badge, not really."

"You didn't? Why was that?"

"When I saw your face in the light from your flashlight I could see your eyes. You have nice eyes, not mean eyes like the other man. She flushed a little. "You're eyes are really pretty."

He smiled that charming, enchanting smile of his. "Thank you Amelia. I'm going to make you a promise okay? Me and Detective Bonasera…" He flashed Stella a quick grin before returning his attention to Amelia. "We're going to find the man who hurt you and your parents."

She nodded seriously. "I know." She waited a beat and then threw her arms around him, and for a moment man and child embraced. The sight almost brought tears to Stella's eyes. Amelia very quickly kissed Flack's cheek; then she said goodbye to him and Stella and she and her grandmother departed.

"I think you may be her hero," Stella observed with a smile.

"Seems so; I'll do what I can on the card number. If he uses it we'll know."

She nodded. "I'd better get back to the lab."

Flack stood. "I'll walk you out." When they made it outside he turned her to face him and stepped in as close as he dared while there was still a possibility another officer would see them. "Stell, I want to see you tonight."

"The feeling's mutual detective," she told him, smiling. "Let me know if anything hits on the card. If not, I'll see you tonight."

With a grin on his face Flack watched her walk away then turned back inside, all the while not knowing what horror awaited them in the coming hours.

Note from the author-- I realize that this relationship leap may seem a bit sudden to a few readers. However, what I Really wanted to portray was how the emotions running high with the case could bring out feelings that had been left unsaid for some time. I also intentionally had the scene where they woke up together parallel the scene with Danny and Lindsay. Though it is by no means a carbon copy of that scene I wanted there to be a certain degree of continuity because I feel very strongly that Flack and Stella's relationship could be just as strong as Danny and Lindsay's.


	4. Pain

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of CSI:NY

All of the evidence from the rental house had been processed and gone over with a fine toothed comb. The credit card appeared to be the only thing of use that they could find. So they waited for Greene to slip up. Stella spent half of the day glancing down at her phone, hoping to get the call that would tell her he had used the card somewhere.

She was glancing again when Danny spoke up from the door. "My ma always said a watched pot never boils," he told her with a grin as he leaned against the doorframe.

Stella looked up and smiled briefly. "I know, but we need the guy to screw up; which means I need a phone call."

"He will screw up," Danny said confidently. Then his smile turned sly. "So you and Flack huh?"

"Lindsay told you?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Nah, Don did. Course I figured it out when I realized that both of you were so smiley this morning."

"Of course you did. I don't suppose I have to remind you to keep quiet?" she asked, with a hint of reproach in her voice.

"I said I talked to Flack didn't I? Don't worry; I'll keep my big mouth shut for now." He turned to leave but couldn't help tossing out another comment. "Way to go Stell."

She was still laughing when her phone rang; apparently Danny was right about the watched pot. "Bonasera."

"Stell, James Greene used the credit card at a cheap ass motel in the Bronx. Guy at the desk says he checked in early this morning then got squirrelly on him. He paid and left about an hour ago."

Stella was already up and reaching for her jacket. "I'll be downstairs in five."

Don't description of the motel as cheap ass had been a gross understatement. The place was beyond rundown and crawling with cockroaches. Both Stella and Flack came within an inch of throttling the greasy looking clerk that kept looking Stella up and down and licking his lips. When he offered her a law enforcement discount Flack got rough and they finally got into the room.

In the room they found very little other than bugs, at least initially. Stella was tossing the trash when she came up with a scrap of paper with an address and phone number written on it. Curiously she dialed and her blood ran cold when she heard Amelia Simmons grandmother on the other line. Very calmly she told her to check all of the windows and doors and take Amelia to a room away from any possible entrances. She hung up and felt the grip she'd had on her control slipping. "Flack!"

He popped out of the bathroom. "What's going on?"

"He's going for Amelia again. He's got the address and phone number." By then they were both sprinting towards the car. "We need more uniforms, more cars, anything to make sure he's not getting in." Flack was already on the phone. When they got to the car it was only seconds before they were in and he hit the lights and the gas.

Stella wasn't sure if she breathed the entire trip. When they pulled up at the end of the street she finally took a deep breath. There was no way James Greene was getting to Amelia with five marked cars and over ten officers dominating the street. Flack parked at the end of the block to avoid the chaos of the street and Stella released her seatbelt. "There's no way he can get to her." Relieved, she slid from the car and shut the door behind her.

For a few seconds Flack just sat in the car, taking a moment to think about the situation at hand. He dimly heard Stella curse as her cell phone clattered to the ground; then fear formed an icy ball in his stomach as her scream split the early evening air. He bolted from the car and rounded the front with his gun leveled. His fear mingled with rage when he saw James Greene with a hunting knife at Stella's neck. The knife was already slick with blood and he immediately saw the wound. Blood was quickly darkening the green of her shirt close to her heart, too close.

"Let the detective go James," Flack said, forcing his voice to stay hard.

James Greene's face was deceptively like his mothers, innocent and young. His lifeless eyes watched Flack as he shook his head. "No, I want my daughter."

Flack looked down briefly at Stella and was relieved to see that she was fully conscious. But she was deathly pale and her eyes were beginning to gloss with pain. Those eyes met his and she mouthed up at him 'use Amelia.'

"You know you can't have Amelia, James. She had a family, and you took it all away from her."

"I'm her family!" he screamed. He pulled Stella in tighter against the blade until Flack could see it begin to bite into her skin.

"You're not her family James. You never were."

"I was supposed to be," he said desperately.

Flack kept his gun steady as he spoke. "But you aren't. She's terrified of you."

He shook his head. "You're wrong, she just doesn't understand."

"You think she'll ever understand?" he questioned harshly. Alerted by Stella's scream, a few of the officers came to a halt behind him. Without taking his eyes off of Stella and Greene, Flack motioned them back.

"I just want Amelia," James said quietly.

"You can't have her James. Now, you've got two murders on your hands, don't make it three. Let her go."

"I can't, not without my daughter." He shook his head and looked towards the house down the street. It was as if he didn't even see Flack and the others.

Flack looked back at Stella and he could see that she was hanging on by a thread. Slowly, she met his eyes and then looked to the other officers and nodded. When she was certain Greene was distracted she mouthed 'now.' In mere seconds it was over. Stella gathered all of her strength and reared back, head butting him. He staggered then hit the ground and the officers were on him immediately.

For a moment Stella managed to stay on her feet. Then she swayed on the spot and fell. Flack caught her and laid her on the ground gently. "Call 911 now!" he yelled. He turned back and found her slipping out of consciousness. "Stell, stay with me." As he stripped off his jacket he heard an officer behind him talking to dispatch. 'Officer down, Stella Bonasera.'

With his heart hammering against his chest he ripped her shirt down the middle to see the wound. There was too much blood, and he was no doctor. The best he could think to do was to rip the sleeve off of his jacket and apply pressure. His hands slick with blood, he prayed to hear sirens, and kept talking. "Come on Stell, stay with me."

Flack felt as if the world had spun off its axis. There was a flurry of sound and motion around him in the hospital; Mac stood stiff next to him as Danny and Lindsay rushed through the doors with Hawkes hot on their heels. Questions fired at him from all directions, but nothing penetrated the fog of stunned grief that surrounded him. Finally Mac called the others off and he was left to his own damning thoughts. This was the last place he thought he would end up that day, and looking back he couldn't help thinking that it was his fault.

He was finally shaken from his thoughts as Danny briefly laid his hand on his shoulder before sitting down next to him. "It shouldn't have gone down that way Danny."

Danny shook his head. "Things don't go the way we plan, not on this job."

"I know, but it shouldn't have been her. After Frankie…" He ran his hand over his face. "It was never supposed to be her again."

"You and I both know that there's nothing you could have done to change what happened today?"

Flack cursed creatively. "You think? I could have parked further down the street, but I didn't want to deal with the mess of cars already down there. I could have gotten out of the car like I always do, but I was taking a moment. There were dozens of little things I could have done Danny, but I didn't."

Danny knew that whatever he said, nothing could change the fact that Flack felt the weight of this. "Ya look like you need to punch something," he said.

"Yeah, that couldn't hurt."

"A really good friend would say go ahead and punch me. Guess I'm not a really good friend."

Despite himself he smiled. "Don't worry about it, I'll find a wall or something. Thanks Danny."

He nodded and stood. "Whenever you need me buddy. I'm gonna go check on Montana."

It seemed like weeks passed before they heard anything. Though they knew it had only been hours, it felt like eternity. Mac and Flack were discussing another case in an effort to keep busy when a doctor in scrubs approached them.

"You here for Stella Bonasera?" Both men nodded and he continued. "She lost a lot of blood. It's a good thing you got her here when you did; a few more minutes could have been too late. I'll spare you the technical jargon since it's been a long night for all of us. The general gist is that she'll be fine. She needs to stay here for a while and even then it'll be a few weeks before she'll be allowed to work, but she will be fine."

"Can we see her?" Mac asked.

"Visiting hours are technically over and she won't be up for a few hours, but considering the circumstances I'm willing to overlook the rules and let someone stay. But I'll only let one person in tonight."

Flack turned to Mac. "Go ahead."

Mac looked his friend over then shook his head. "You know Stella; first thing she'll want to talk about it the case. You stay; the rest of us will be back tomorrow."

He nodded and followed the doctor to Stella's room. Mac watched them go as Hawkes came to a stop at his side. "You think he actually buys that excuse?" he asked.

Mac shook his head. "I doubt it, but with everything that's happened, I think they both need him to be there when she wakes up."

"So she's going to be okay," Hawkes said.

"She's going to be okay."

In the hospital room Flack settled in one of the most uncomfortable chairs he'd ever sat in. He didn't particularly care. Stella was in the bed in front of him still out, hooked up to monitors and looking frighteningly pale. When she'd gone through everything with Frankie, Flack had made himself an unconscious promise that he'd never see her like this again; and he'd failed to keep that promise. Even with the weight of fear and worry lifted, guilt still weighed heavy on his shoulders. He knew there was no going back to change what had happened, so thinking that way was useless. What mattered was that she was safe and she'd recover. Even as he thought it the guilt persisted.

With a sigh he leaned back in the too small hospital chair and prepared himself for an uneasy night. He didn't expect to get any sleep, but it wasn't long before exhaustion overtook him and he'd fallen into a fitful sleep.

As Stella came awake her first hazy thoughts concerned her whereabouts. Then everything came back to her, and the pain followed close behind. Then she turned and saw Flack and her next coherent thought was that he'd been dealt some rather uncomfortable sleeping arrangements in the past few days. His head was leaning on his hand and his elbow was rather precariously perched on the arm of the tiny chair he sat in. His long legs were stretched out and it looked as if he might slip forward and on to his ass at any moment. She couldn't fight back the laugh but gasped when pain sliced through her chest.

Flack heard her and woke immediately. He looked over to see her hands clutching at the bed sheets as she tried to ride it out. "Stell, I'll go get a nurse." She nodded and took a deep breath. He was back in mere moments with a nurse who administered pain medication and instructed her to just lie back and wait for it to take effect. She left them alone with instructions to call her if she was needed. "Better?" he asked.

She nodded. "Better." Settling in against the pillows she watched as he pulled the chair up next to the bed. "What's the prognosis?" she asked with a smile.

"You lost a lot of blood, but you'll be fine. Gave us all a scare though," he told her.

Stella could see he was shaken up and she reached over to take his hand. "I'm going to be okay Don."

He shook his head. "I know… God Stell I'm sorry."

"What would you have to be sorry for?" she asked, though she thought she already knew what he was thinking.

"Damn it, I could have kept this from happening. If I had parked further down the street or gotten out of the car earlier. I should have known he would try something."

She let out an exasperated breath and fought back a wince at the twinge of pain. Clearly she hadn't given the pain meds enough time to work into her system. She pushed on. "We thought he was going for Amelia. Neither of us could have known that he would come after me."

Flack frowned. "I still don't know why he did."

"You haven't talked to him?" she asked incredulously.

Now he smiled, for the first time in hours. "We were all a little concerned about the possibility of you dying."

She returned the smile. "There was that. You should be questioning him."

"It can wait until morning."

"It almost is morning," she said. "You should go home and get some sleep."

He shook his head. "I'm not leaving you alone, not here. I'll be fine in the chair."

"Don, I'll be fine, you don't have to worry about me."

"I always worry about you Stell. You're a strong woman, but just this once let someone take care of you."

Her head tilted to the side. "I don't really have much choice but to let someone take care of me in this situation do I?" she asked, watching as Don smiled.

"No, you don't really. Let me put it this way; let me watch out for you, even if it's just this once."

She looked up, green eyes locked with blue, and she took a leap. "I'll be disappointed if it's only this once."

Flack smiled as he reached out with his free hand to brush a curl from her face. "That's good, because I was considering just holding you down and making you see it my way if you argued."

"I hardly think that will be necessary."

His smile had turned to a grin when he leaned down to kiss her. Their lips had barely met when she leaned forward and pain lanced through her. Hearing her breath hitch he pulled back. "I think we both forgot what kind of condition you're in for a minute there."

"Evidently."

"Try to get some sleep; I'll try not to wake you up when I leave." He settled back in the chair, but kept it close to the bed. "Night Stell."

"Night."

Mac came in early that morning for two reasons, to make sure Stella was doing okay and to make sure Flack was doing okay. When he entered the room he decided almost immediately that both were doing just fine. Both were fast asleep, fingers still laced together. With a smile, he backed out. Deciding that waking Flack could wait a few minutes he went in search of some decent coffee, not able to resist a glance back over his shoulder. It appeared that two more of his team members had found each other. He felt it was about time.

Note From The Author: Okay, so the last line of the last chapter was cheezy. I realize that, I regret that. I apologize. Hopefully this one was better.


	5. Recovery

Disclaimer-- I don't own the characters. Damn

Note From the Author-- Almost done folks; just this chapter and one more

After stopping briefly at his place to shower and change clothes, Flack headed in to question James Greene. He didn't expect it would be easy or even remotely amusing, and he was right.

"Why did you do it James?" he questioned, standing rather imposingly over the man with his arms crossed.

Greene shook his head. "Keep asking me that; just wanted my daughter back."

It was becoming perfectly clear to Don that James Greene wasn't firing on all cylinders, but he continued the line of questioning. "You can tell me that as much as you want James, but that doesn't explain why you did what you did."

"She's my daughter!"

"Yeah she's your daughter." Flack's palms slapped down on the table. "But only by blood. She had a family, a mother and a father, and you took them away from her!"

"She isn't theirs!" Greene screamed, his eyes burning. "She's mine!"

Flack shook his head and when he spoke again his voice was harsh and hard. "She's never been yours, and she never will be. You think that anyone would have given you custody of that little girl? A drug addict with no means of supporting her and no future other than ending up dead in a gutter like Amelia's mother? No one in their right mind would let you have that little girl!"

Greene muttered unintelligibly under his breath.

"When you realized that they wouldn't let you have Amelia you started planning everything out. You would break in, take out the Simmons and take Amelia. But why do what you did to them James? Why?"

He looked up at Flack with determined knowledge written on his face. "They deserved it. They stole my daughter from me, they took my happiness. So I took their happiness, their lives, and I took my daughter back. They deserved what they got," he mumbled.

Hours later Stella was sitting in her hospital bed praying for something other than a soap opera to come on. She'd only turned the TV on to combat the deafening silence of the room, but she was seriously considering giving up. She was actually reaching for her phone to call and beg somebody to bring her a book when Flack walked in. He had evidently left his jacket in his car and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up past his elbows. The shadows under his eyes seemed to have deepened since the morning.

"You questioned James Greene?" she asked as he folded himself into the chair he'd spent the night in.

"I did, and let me tell you an insanity plea would not be pushing the limit," he told her, running a hand over his face. "It got worse the longer I talked to him.

"We knew he wasn't stable," Stella told him. "I guess now we just have the solid proof."

Flack shook his head. "Solid as a brick wall; you know what he told me? He told me that the Simmons deserved it. No matter what I said, he just told me they deserved it."

"I guess this time all that matters is that we've got him; and one way or another he won't get to Amelia Simmons again."

"You're right, but something about this still seems off."

"The whole case has been off."

He smiled. "True enough. At least I know I can look that little girl in the eye and tell her we got the man who killed her parents."

"Exactly." She reached out and took his hand. "We've got him, and now everyone can sleep easier."

"Easier when you've got a spotless bill of health," he told her.

Stella smiled. "I'll get there eventually." Her smile took on a sinful edge as her eyes lit. "For now I feel it's only fair to tell you that my pain medication is working much better than last night."

"Really? Good to know they're taking good care of you."

"Taking pretty good care of you too," she said, tugging on his hand to pull him down to her. Still smiling he took her mouth. Though Stella said her pain was gone, the kiss was gentle. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her more. Even so, under the gentleness ran a strong current of urgency. The chemistry between them was undeniable, but Flack reigned himself in and pulled back. No matter how much they both wanted or needed she was still in poor shape.

"Guess we need to remember we won't be doing anything strenuous for a while," she said.

"Flack flashed a boyish grin. "You're probably right, but for now…"

He was leaning back in when they heard Hawkes speak from the door. "Sorry to interrupt. But I've got something you need to hear."

Flack and Stella straightened themselves. "What have you got?" he asked.

Hawkes tapped the folder against his palm momentarily before he spoke. "DNA came back on the original crime scene. We found a female profile that didn't match Amelia, her mother or her grandmother. However the sample shares common alleles with James Greene."

Stella and Don's eyes met and she shook her head. "Damn it."

Not even an hour later Flack pulled up in front of the same tidy gnome guarded home he'd visited only days before. In Stella's absence Hawkes had come with him. As they knocked and waited he fought back a sigh. When Jenna Greene answered the door she looked at him with sad brown eyes and nodded. "I figured you would be back detective, please come in."

The scene moments later was eerily familiar as Flack and Hawked sat across from Jenna Greene in her living room. This time there was no hot tea, and the topic of conversation was even less pleasant.

"We know you were there Jenna. Why don't you tell us what happened."

"I lied about the last time I saw my son," she told them, the Southern lilt of her voice smoothing over the lies. "He came to me with a plan. He told me he was going to go in with a fake knife and a gun with blanks; he said he just wanted to scare them enough that they wouldn't resist and he could take Amelia."

"Why did you go along with it, Jenna?" Flack asked.

She shook her head and both men saw the tears that had begun to fall. "He's my son. I truly believed that he wouldn't harm them. I went with him and stayed outside to keep watch. Everything seemed to be going fine. When I heard the screams I though it was just because they were scared." Her eyes squeezed shut but she continued. "Then James came running out; it was a miracle no one saw him. He had Amelia in his arms; she was crying and covered in blood. I asked him what happened but he wouldn't tell me. He just screamed that he needed my car keys and… and I gave them to him. I went inside but I was barely through the door when I saw them."

"Why would you give her to James?" Hawkes asked.

"I don't know, I wish I did."

Don shook his head. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"How could I?" she asked. "How could I admit my son had done something so horrible? That I had let him? I told you all I could tell you about James and where he might be taking her. I knew you would find them."

"But you didn't know that for sure Jenna. We found him, but only after he locked Amelia in a basement so he could be sure she wouldn't run from him. Only after he put a knife in my partner and she nearly bled to death."

She shook her head. "I never dreamed it would go the way it did. I just wanted my son to be happy; to have the family he never felt he had."

Flack nodded as he stood. "I believe that." He motioned for her to stand. "Unfortunately it doesn't matter. Jenna Greene you're under arrest…"

Flack felt completely wrecked by the time he got back to the hospital. That certainly wasn't the way he'd expected his day to go. But then nothing had quite gone the way he'd expected it to lately. He yanked his tie loose as he came out of the elevator and breathed a sigh of relief. When he came around the corner to Stella's room he took a moment to take in the scene. Stella was sitting up in the bed and Amelia Simmons sat next to her. Amelia's grandmother occupied the room's single chair. He leaned against the doorframe and watched as they laughed together. Amelia looked up and saw him, shooting him a toothy grin.

"Hi Detective Flack," she said brightly.

Stella looked up and smiled. "Hey, how did it go?"

He shrugged as he walked the rest of the way into the room. "About like we expected." He sat down on the side of the bed that wasn't occupied by Amelia. "How are you?" he asked the little girl.

"I'm okay. Better since you caught the bad man. Detective Bonasera told me."

Don smiled as she tripped a little over Stella's last name. "We did get him, and you don't have to be afraid of him anymore."

Amelia nodded solemnly. "I know. Thank you for getting him."

"You're welcome sweetie," Stella told her.

For a moment they all sat in companionable silence. Flack poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher on the bedside table and didn't notice Amelia's careful study of him and Stella.

Finally the curious child spoke up. "Are you and Detective Flack boyfriend and girlfriend?" she asked Stella.

Both Stella and Flack froze for a moment, not sure how to respond. Before either of them had a chance to answer Amelia's grandmother spoke up. "Amelia, what have you been told about asking personal questions?"

"I know grandma, but I just thought if they had babies they'd have pretty eyes like Detective Flack."

Said pretty-eyed man choked on the drink of water he'd just taken. As Stella fought to contain her laughter he changed the subject rather intelligently. "Have you been sleeping alright?" he asked Amelia.

She shrugged. "I've had a few bad dreams; mostly I miss mommy and daddy; but grandma says they're in a better place and now that they know the bad man can't hurt me they can be happy and peaceful. I think she's right."

"I think she's right too," he told her.

When Amelia and her grandmother left a while later Flack sat back down and ran both hands over his face, laughing. "Kids say the damndest things."

"Yeah, they do. It never ceases to amaze me."

Dropping his hands he leaned toward her. "So Detective Bonasera, when are they letting you out of here?"

"Not for a couple of days I'm afraid."

"Want me to sleep on the chair until then?" he asked with a smile.

She shook her head. "I appreciate the effort, but I'll be fine. I've been handling the whole hospital thing pretty well so far, I think I can make it. Besides, you need to get some sleep. How're you supposed to save the citizens of New York if you can't stay upright?"

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

Still smiling, he leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Rest. Maybe if you get enough they'll let you out of here sooner."

"You too."

He stood up and headed for the door. "I'll see you in the morning."

She nodded and watched as he left the room. Settling back against the pillows she thought over the events of the past few days. If someone had told her days before that she'd end up in a…. well whatever it was, with Flack, she wouldn't have believed it. She had been sure that she wouldn't let her emotions carry her away again, but this time it seemed right. It felt right. Only time would tell if it would last or fizzle out but she would savor every moment of it, whether it lasted for six weeks or sixty years.

Note From the Author-- I had to add this little piece with Amelia in. Mostly because I have a five year old cousin and I know that kids that age are incredibly precocious and have a propensity for saying stuff like that :)


	6. Glow

A few weeks later found Flack walking up to Stella's apartment after a long day. He was looking forward to a night consisting of dinner and a really good class of wine. As he headed in he ran into Mac coming out.

"She trying to convince you to let her come back early?" he asked with an easy smile.

Mac nodded. "Exactly. I told her it's not going to happen."

"I'm sure that went well."

"About as well as you imagine. See you tomorrow."

Flack shook his head, laughing, and went inside. As he closed the door he heard Stella slam the refrigerator door. "Saw Mac on the way in," he told her, trying to keep a straight face.

She turned and frowned. "I just want to go back to work. I can't sit here anymore, I can't read another book, and I need to go back to doing my job."

"I know you do, but if the doctors haven't okayed you and Mac says no…"

Stella shook her head. "I'm going stir crazy Don."

"Hmm, well it sits well on you," he said, fighting back a grin as he pulled her into his arms.

"You're teasing me. Keep it up and I won't share my good news."

He turned his attention to her neck, speaking between kisses. "Good news?"

She nodded. "Excellent news."

"What's that?"

"Well, I'm okay to go back to work. Mac's just worried it's too soon. He told me to take the rest of the week. It's so frustrating because I talked to the doctor today, and he cleared me for…" She looked up as he did and their eyes met. "All sorts of physical activity."

Flack smiled down at her. "Is that so?"

"Mmhmm. You going to do something Detective?" she asked.

"You know me, man of action."

When Stella woke hours later she found herself alone. Almost immediately she realized where Don had gone as she heard the tap running in the kitchen. . Stretching languidly she took her time before she rose, pulling on Flack's shirt and buttoning it up as she went. She found him standing in front of the fridge wearing nothing but his pants. He appeared to be contemplating the contents of the refrigerator rather intensely.

"Waiting for something to jump out at you?" she asked wryly.

Without turning he responded. "Not much to jump out. I managed to find some orange juice and hummus. You've got to go shopping and start feeding yourself better Stell." He turned and stopped in his tracks when he saw her standing there in nothing but his shirt. "Good God Stell you know how to make a man's heart race."

She smiled at him. "It's a carefully honed skill."

"No, it's completely natural. It wouldn't fit so well if it was created." He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her in. Feeling dreamy and content, she traced her fingers over his scar and across his chest. He pressed his hand softly against her heart, where her own scar lay beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. "Guess we're a matched set now."

"Guess we are," she said, "Know what that means?"

He shook his head. "What's that mean?"

"It means you're not getting rid of me any time soon."

Flack smiled down at her bemusedly. "Why would I want to get rid of you?"

She rose on her toes to loop her arms around his neck. "Oh I don't think you would, but I thought it was only fair to let you know that even if you did, it wouldn't be an option."

"Oh really, and why's that?"

"Because," she said, pausing to kiss him languidly. "You're falling for me."

He laughed. "For someone with such finely tuned skills of observation, you can be kind of clueless sometimes." He looked her straight in the eye as he pulled her flush against him. "I was falling for you before we started this."

Dazed, Stella nodded. "Good, that's really good."

"Definitely a very good thing; amazing even."

Lost in the moment, they let a comfortable silence fall over them. As Flack bent to take her mouth she dimly thought that this slow burn she felt, that she'd been feeling for weeks, was so much better than a fiery blaze. Who wanted to burn quickly to ash when they could smolder for eternity? And who knew; maybe they'd found a safe harbor to take shelter in each other for years to come. Only time would tell, but for now they were both content to bask in the glow.


End file.
